House Fails To Do The Right Thing

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives failed to do the right thing today by passing a bill that will deny food assistance to 6 million Americans, Environmental Working Group (EWG) said in a statement.

Scott Faber, EWG's vice president for government affairs, said:

It is unconscionable in today’s struggling economy to cut $40 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which helps the nation’s neediest families put food on the table. House lawmakers voted for a bill that will take food out of the mouths of hungry kids and seniors and place onerous new requirements on SNAP recipients.

Congress should focus on cutting the real wasteful dollars, like direct payments, in the federal farm bill. Ending these handouts -- which unlike food stamps are paid out regardless of need – and adopting other subsidy reforms would save twice as much as the House plans to save by gutting SNAP.

50 million Americans, including 17 million children rely on SNAP. Denying food to the very poor while increasing subsidies for the most successful farmers is just Robin Hood in reverse.